Locomotive crosshead



Filed April 22. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Simian;

Jan. 19, 1932. J. w. HIGHLEYMAN LOCOMOTIVE CROSSHEAD Filed April 222. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "liner or shim; "35

I PATENT OFFICE JAMES HIGHLEYMAN, F OMAHA, N EBRASKA LoooMo'rIvE cnossHEAn Application filed April 22,

'j. My invention relates to crossheads andparticularly to those of the type used in steam locomotives. I One :object of my invention is to provide a crosshead with shoes orgibs which are read-, il'y" adjustable to compensate forwea-r witho'ut their removal from the crosshead Another object is to provide a gib fastening structure whicheliminates the use of transverse wbolts thereby greatly facilitating; repai'r and'replacement of parts OflOCOIIlOtlVGS Lin servicefi j f A further object is to provide a crosshead in which the gibs are securely l'ockedin a solid 'crosshead body with a single removable member for holding each gib in position.

- Stillanother object is to provide a durable crosshead "structure which can be produced :1 by'a'simple alteration of'lcrossheads now in 7, 7 V I j "'Other objects will appear from the follow- "ing specification when read in conjunctlon with-the accompanying drawings in which Figure *1 is a perspective view of the body of a crosshead embodying my invention, the gibs or shoes being removed;

Fig.2 is; alongitudinal section through the 'crosshead body shown in' Fig. 1; i Fig. 3' is a perspective view'jof' a gib used in the crosshead;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a block used for holding the gibs in place; a

Fig 5 is a'perspecti've view of an adjusting Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an assembled "crosshead; the'section being taken on line fVL-VI of Fig. 7 and Fi 7 is a sectional view of the assembled crosshead the section being taken on line 'VIIVII ofFiggG. I

Referring toFig. the reference character "8' designates the body of-a crosshead common 1y -known as the alligator or butterfly" type.

This body carries an integral extension 9 for "the reception of the usual piston rod and a transverse opening lO for the wrist pin. The body 8 has the usual integral-side plates or wings 11, but-thesewings are connected at their rear ends by *solid integral connecting blocks 12 which formrearend closures for inclined faces of this engaging 19.29. 7 Serial no. 357,260.

j ection' 15 extending from its flat surface and these projections aredove-tailed in cross section forming inclined faces 18 which are arra-nged'to contact with and fit: against the undercut surfaces leiofblocks 12. The prom jections 15 contain longitudinal grooves 17 85 in their horizontal faces and extending parallel to the fiat surface of the gib. When a gib 16 is placed in position with its projection 15 entering a'slot 13 ofjthe crosshead, one of the projection engages the undercut face 14 of block 12.

e For the purpose of closing the open end of slot 13 and securing the gib rigidlyin position,I provide closure blocks 19 having laterally extending tongues 20 which enter and '75 engage with grooves 21 in the wings '11. The inner end of each block 19 has an inclined face 22 cut at the same angle as the faces 18 on projection 15. When the block is placed M, in the outer end of slot 13 with its tongues 20 grooves 21, the inclined face 22 engages and closely fits against the inclined surface 18 on projection 15. The block 19 contains longitudinal drilled openings 20a which, are adapted, when the block is inserted in slot 13, tobe in accurate alinement both with the grooves 17 in projections 15 and with "the openings 14a in blocks 12. When the vious a scr s r ui a -mea SIl1 l t ew o e vlent n a be substituted for-bolts-23 by threading the P ing my invention,

openings 14a, thereby eliminating the use of nuts.

The gibs 16 are each provided with two side wings 24 which cooperate with the usual erosshead guides and carry spaced Babbitt liners 25 of conventional type. As shown in Fig. (3 two liners or shims 26 are associated 'ith each of the gibs 16. These liners are of the form shown in Fig. 5 and have a long fiat portion 27 adapted to contact with the upper face of the erosshead block, and a vertical portion 28 containing openings 29 through which the bolts 23 pass. The purpose of these liners is to afford a simple means for taking up wear in the erosshead without removing the erosshead from the engine. lVhenever the gib becomes worn away so as to allow too much play between the gibs and their associated guides, additional or thicker shims 26 can be placed into position by simply removing the two longitudinal bolts which pass through each of these shims. It will be noted'that these shims are entirely outside of the slots 13 so as to be conveniently accessible.

. The advantages of the structure just described are numerous as will be evident to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates. The absence of bolts extending transverselythrough the erosshead not only improves the looks of the mechanism and makes it easier to clean and polish, but it enables adjustments to be made without bringing the erosshead to a particular position before the gib'fastening bolts can be removed. Furthermore, adjustments can be made without removing the crosshead and hence, without g0- ing to the trouble of removing the wrist pin from the crosshead. This invention is applicable not only to new crossheads, but it can be readily applied to those already in use by welding, pinning, or otherwise securing blocks in the rear ends of the gib-receiving slots, and then cutting grooves in the front ends of these slots to receive the fastening blocks.

My invention produces a erosshead which is more durable than those known heretofore, is simple to adjust for maintaining proper clearance between guides and gibs, and assures a permanent fit of the crosshead wrist pin in the erosshead. It also materially reduces the cost of upkeep and entirely eliminates the numerous roundhouse delays which have heretofore been necessary for adjusting erosshead guides to take up wear.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of erosshead embodyit will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A erosshead comprising a block containing gibssupporting slots open at oneend ing an inclined surface on its gib, and means extending longitudinally of the erosshead for securing the removable blocks and gibs to the erosshead block.

3. A erosshead comprising a block slotted on two faces, said slots being permanently closed at one end, removable means for 0103- ing the other end of each of said slots, and

gibs one associated with each of said slots and each having a single projection adapted to enter one of said slots and to be held therein by said removable means.

4. The combination with a erosshead having slots in its guide-adjoining sides, said slots being closed at one end and having an undercut face on said end only, of gibs one in each of said slots and having an inclined portion adapted to engage said undercut face,

removable blocks one for closing each of said slots and having an inclined face for cooperation with an inclined portion of a gib, and means extending longitudinally of the erosshead for securing the blocks in the slots and locking the gibs against displacement.

I 5. A erosshead comprising a block having gib-receiving slots on its guide-adjoining sides. means for permanently closing one end of each of said slot-s, each of said means having an undercut face, gibs one in each of said slots and each having an inclined surface for contacting with said undercut face, closure blocks one adapted to fit in the open end of each of said slots and each having an inclined surface for engagement with an inclined surface on the associated gib, means extending parallel to the guides for holding the gibs in position, and a plurality of removable liners between the gibs and the outside surfaces of the erosshead.

6. A erosshead comprising a block having gib-receiving slots on its guide-adjoining sides, means for permanently closing one end of each of said slots, each of said means having an undercut face, gibs one in each of said slots and each having an inclined surface for contacting with said undercut face, closure blocks one adapted to fit in the open end of each of said slots and having an inclined surface for engagement withan inclined surface on the associated gib, means extending parallel to the guides for holding the in position, and removable means outside, of said slots for varying the distance between the gibs and the erosshead.

7. A crosshead comprising a block having 'gib-receiving slots on its guide-adjoining sides, each slot being permanently closed at one end and having a removable block for closing the other, end, to form a recess dovetailed in cross section, a gib having a dovetailed projection adapted to fit in each of said recesses, means extending longitudinally of the crosshead for securing the gibs in said recesses, and a plurality of removable liners separating the guide-adjoining faces of the crosshead from the adjoining flat faces of the gibs.

8. A crosshead comprising a block having gib-supporting slots open at one end only, a gib in each slot and having an inclined face cooperating with an inclined face at the closed end of the slot, a removable block secured in the open end of each slot and having an inclined surface engaging an inclined surface on each gib, and means for securing the fiemivable blocks and-gibs to the crosshead loc name to this specification.

JAMES W. HIGHLEYMAN.

In testimony whereof I, have signed my- 

